The Life of an Invisible Pianist
by thatdamfangirl23
Summary: The laments of a pianist who is never seen, and can't work out which song to play when someone calls a key out to him.


****I just started watching Glee, and the pianist doesn't get nearly enough attention, so here is a little one shot from his perspective. Enjoy!  
disclaimer: I do not own Glee, nor any of the songs used in this.****

You are a quiet man by nature. You don't get involved in drama – never have – and you generally ignore the day to day goings on at the school. No one ever notices you anyway.

This gets significantly harder when Will decides to bring back the glee club, which is a terrible idea in your humble opinion. You were in it back in your day, with Will for that matter, but you're sure that he doesn't remember you. You were just that kid who played the piano.

When he approaches you and asks for your help, you are slightly surprised, both because he interrupts you when you are in the middle of one of your favourite Grieg piece, and because he has given you every reason to think he doesn't know of your existence for all of fifteen years.

You agree of course. You're no good at saying no to people, and who knows, it could be fun.

It's not fun.

The first rehearsal goes… badly. Very badly. Seriously, it's the worst rendition of __sit down, you're rocking the boat __that you've ever heard, and that's saying something. The cynical boy with the high voice has the right idea.

That rehearsal is the first time you ever meet Rachel Berry.

Your first impression is not a good one, mostly because she begins to waltz around the room, dancing around you and going so far as to try to get you to dance, taking hold of your arms. Who does that when someone is obviously trying to play?

Sneaking a look at Will, who sits in the corner with his curly head in his hands, you grimace and shuffle your music slightly, for something to avoid the depressed expressions being thrown around.

They do get better, you suppose. Some of them are actually okay at singing – the Hummel boy, Mercedes (how does she get those high notes), the guy in the wheelchair. When they are allowed to sing, they are good.

Then there is Finn Hudson. You don't even know why he is there – he's a football player for goodness sake. You went to high school once; you know the football players don't come within a fifty foot radius of the glee club. You wonder if Will had something to do with it.

Finn isn't a terrible singer, but he definitely isn't the best. You personally think that Artie should get most of the solos that he does, or maybe that Noah character who insists on being called Puck, and joins a couple of weeks later.

All of these kids are all well and good. They are the sorts of kids who are losers to everyone else, and most of them will always be. Most probably won't even make it out of Lima.

Then there is Rachel. You have to admit, much as it loathes you, that she is a good singer. An excellent singer even. She is purpose built for Broadway, with her lengthy notes and huge finales. She's a performer, even if she does have an infuriating habit of skipping about any area she is singing in like a new born lamb and getting in your way.

She may be incredible and Will's favourite, but you hate her. The way she shouts "B flat!" over her shoulder and expects you to know exactly what to play, or the way she has that constant rivalry with Kurt Hummel. Actually, that one is rather amusing to watch from your invisible position at the piano.

Rachel seems to have a feud with nearly everybody in the glee club, now that you think about it. She and Kurt are the most obvious – both are full of themselves, selfish and have jaw dropping voices which are bound to cause trouble – but you can see how Mercedes resents her when she gets yet another solo, or how she glares at that cheerleader Quin who is the lucky girlfriend of one Finn Hudson.

Months pass and the glee club wins sectionals, much to your annoyance, although there is a part of you that enjoys playing for them and trying to figure out what the hell the kids want when they shout a random key at you. You've actually got to know them quite well because of that.

Rachel usually wants something from __les mis__, which you have absolutely no problem with, and Kurt is much the same. Mercedes prefers songs with inhuman vocals that she can somehow access, Artie likes top 40 and Tina, well, she hardly sings at all, but when she does, she usually whispers in your ear very kindly and tells you exactly which song and in which key to do it. You wish the others would do this.

Relationships develop too, and you find them amusing to watch as they build up and break apart. One day Finn and Quin are happily planning to be parents, and then the baby turns out to be the Puck kid's and he and Finn won't look at each other. Then Rachel sets her sights on Finn, as does Kurt.

One traumatic day, Kurt comes into the choir room alone while you are practicing and he's sobbing because his plan to get Finn for himself backfired, and Finn is now happily dating Rachel and taking his dad and the whole world is ending.  
You know this because you asked him what was wrong and he started weeping on your shoulder. As you pat him awkwardly on the back, you shudder. Surely you weren't this stupidly emotional when you were sixteen? He thanks you when he's stopped crying and comes back the next day dressed in a baseball cap and singing Mellencamp. You think your attempt at cheering him up may have gone just a little astray.

You wince as he murders the song that you are being forced to play the accompaniment to.

Regionals roll around and they lose badly, which is altogether unsurprising given their competition. Somehow, they are allowed to carry on for another year.

With the new year, there comes a load of new faces, some of whom are not new, but you are only just noticing because, shock horror, Will Shuester has discovered that Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson are not the only people who exist. Most notable are the two cheerleaders Brittney and Santana who are obviously madly in love but won't act on it. They're almost as obvious as the new kid Sam who sneaks glances at Quin, or Kurt who blatantly stares at Sam.

These kids will be the death of you. You sigh as Rachel tosses you yet another key.

The new directions do get better, and as they continue, you start to hate them a little less. You begin to look forward to the days when you are not at your piano in solitude and when the kids do an impromptu number that you have had no time whatsoever to prepare for, you find that you don't mind as much as you used to.

These kids have really become a family, and you can see the way they've grown to love each other in their different ways. Rachel is no longer quite so self-centred; Tina, Finn and Kurt are much more confident; Mercedes is just as loud and awesome as ever and Artie is happier. They all are.

You almost enjoy being part of the glee club. Almost.

"E flat, hit it!" Rachel says as she flounces down onto the choir room floor. You sigh and begin the opening notes of __on my own__, being rewarded with a grin from her because you've picked the right song.

****I looked up the Glee pianist, and apparently he's called Brad Ellis, so you go Brad.****

****Seriously, none of the band in Glee get any attention whatsoever. Anyway, hope you liked that. ****


End file.
